The present invention relates generally to the field of personal baggage alarms and, more specifically, to a security system designed to prevent the theft of items contained in a piece of personal baggage such as a purse.
Personal baggage is widely used for carrying a wide variety of items such as clothing, toys, portable electronic devices, personal hygiene effects, tools, credit cards, papers and the like. Personal baggage varies in type, size and shape, and for the purposes of the present application the term “personal baggage” is meant to encompass items such as purses, handbags, backpacks, brief cases, various attaché cases, laptop computer cases, camera cases, garment bags, sports bags, tote bags and any other device commonly used by a person to manually transport items from one location to another.
Common to all personal baggage are means for closing the baggage so items contained therein are not lost or stolen. Common closure means include zippers, buttons, magnetic closure means, snap fasteners, VELCRO® closure means, and a wide variety of other cooperatively engageable means. Still other closure means are also known to exist. Each closure means provides a measure of security to the personal baggage. Unfortunately, none of the commonly used closure means, in and of themselves, are sufficient to prevent pickpocketing or other forms of theft. There is, therefore, a need for a security system usable with a wide variety of different personal baggage for the purpose of preventing and deterring theft of the baggage and their contents.
In addition, the presence of personal baggage may attract the attention of would-be thieves and the like because it is well known that people often carry items of value within their personal baggage. For example, carrying a purse may make one a target for theft because it is well known that individuals carry money, credit cards, cellular phones, personal identity information, and other valuables therewithin. On occasion, the carrier of a purse or other personal baggage may perceive a threat of theft or attack before it occurs but may be powerless to either escape from the situation or in some way deter the thief. There is, therefore, also a need for a theft deterrence system associated with a personal baggage such that the deterrence system is always visible and accessible when the personal baggage is in use. In this regard, there is even a greater need for a deterrence system which is portable and can be disconnected and reinstalled on different personal baggage so that one device can be used with a wide variety of different personal baggage owned by a single individual.
Still further, it is known that personal baggage, such as purses, are often chosen for aesthetic reasons as well as for their functional qualities. Purses, particularly, are considered to be fashion accessories as well as items for use in the carrying of one's personal effects. There is, therefore, a further need to provide a security alarm system for purses and other personal baggage that is aesthetically pleasing when associated with the personal baggage and that is adaptable for use with various styles and colors of personal baggage.
Attempts have been made in the past to address the concerns noted above, however the devices currently available fall short of the goal of the present invention, namely, providing a portable secure theft prevention and deterrence system for use with a wide variety of personal baggage.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems associated with the known prior art devices.